Flood victims’ tales of woe

The flood was never expected, although they say there was a flood disaster in Lokoja more than 43 years ago, I’m sure its impact could not have had a similar magnitude,’’ Mr Sunday Akubo, a resident of Lokoja, moaned, as he was being ferried in the flood-ravaged city to an upland for safety.

Having been informed of death and sufferings of some people at the various camps set up for Internally Displaced Persons, Akubo, whose home was totally submerged by floodwaters, decided to flee the town with his kindred.

“It was when I saw some landmarks from the canoe that I knew that we were sailing on the densely populated Adoja Long Drive in Lokoja, which is now totally submerged.

“You can then imagine what could have happened to the residents of the neighbourhood,’’ he added.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mrs. Esther Paul, another victim, said: “It is a harrowing experience which could provoke a heart attack. Imagine this scenario: you wake up in the morning and you do not have a place to call your home anymore.’’

Paul, who now resides in a camp, conceded that things had been quite tough for her family.

“Whenever I look at my children, I usually burst into tears because it has not been easy for all of us in the camp. I particularly pity nursing mothers.

“This place is like a refugee camp; it has not been easy living here with our children,’’ she added.

Unable to control her emotions, Paul recounted how her family lost all their belongings to the flood.

Mr Atodo Wisom, a 27-year-old drycleaner, said the flooding had rendered him homeless, while affecting his means of livelihood.

“I have no place to call my home, as my house is now underwater. My business has also ground to a halt,’’ he said.

Commenting on the flooding, Mr Emmanuel Bola Boro, a Director of Kogi State Agency for the Control of AIDS and a resident of the Adankolo Housing Estate in Lokoja, said that the flooding had traumatised many residents of Lokoja.

“It started like a child’s play when we saw River Niger gradually overflowing its bank; although the flood was not violent, it kept on increasing day by day.

“I was not affected but some of my neighbours who were affected never thought it was going to be as disastrous as this because it all started gently.

“Some people would wake up in the morning and meet the water at their doorsteps, gradually overtaking their homes. Others would wake up on their beds and step into a pool of water,’’ Boro said.

Habiba Umar, a journalist with the Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation who also lives in Adankolo Housing Estate, said some hoodlums had taken undue advantage of the flooding to commit crimes and loot affected houses.

“In recent times, people have been living in fear, as criminals have taken the advantage of the situation to loot houses in our estate, as many residents have left the estate out of fear.

“At the time the government built this estate, they outlawed the building of houses in certain areas designated as green areas and waterways but to our dismay, some people began building on such places.

“Unfortunately, people who built houses on waterways were the worst hit by the flood with several of their houses submerged,’’ she said.

Many people, who live by the riverside in Kogi, admit that the flood took most of them by surprise.

There have been numerous tales of woes about the floods that recently ravaged several parts of the country. The victims’ accounts have been bizarre as well as disturbing and the situation compelled President Goodluck Jonathan to tour some of the affected areas.

“Nigeria is highly devastated by the flood,’’ the president exclaimed.

“Sometimes when you watch on television, you do not appreciate what we are going through. I travelled from North to South to see things for myself and on Sunday, I was in my village after touring my state.

“I left my village on Sunday morning and as at that time; water was about entering my compound. As at this morning, information reaching me is that my house, up to the windows, is underwater.

“So, you can see what people are passing through within this period. But with the assistance of our development partners and people who are in the humanitarian sector, we will soon get over it,’’ Jonathan said after inspecting some flooded areas of Lokoja.

Observers, nonetheless, note that even though flood is a natural phenomenon; its impact could be mitigated if people abide by warnings of weather experts and town planning regulations on building plans and projects.

Citing a report of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), some weather experts claim that heavy rainfall this year as well as the release of water from Lagdo Dam and Lake Nyos in Cameroon heightened the flood incidents in Nigeria.

The experts, however, insist that the Kogi flooding could have been less destructive if the people had paid adequate attention to earlier reports and predictions of flooding in Benue, Anambra, Adamawa, Edo, Kwara and Cross River, among others.

All the same, Mr Steven Mayaki, Kogi’s Commissioner for Land, Housing and Urban Development, stressed that the state government had always adopted anti-flood precautionary measures.

For instance, no layout along the waterways was earmarked for property development in Kogi, he said

“The only reason why the government would put land in such areas into use would be only for recreational and tourism purposes.

“We have to discourage settlement along the waterways as there is enough land elsewhere where people can build their houses without any fear of flooding.

“I think a potent strategy on how to prevent this calamity from recurring is by constructing an embankment by the riverbank.

“Once that is done, it would prevent water from flowing into the hinterland and the recurrence of flood disasters would then be avoided,’’ Mayaki said.

However, concerned citizens stress that the flood disaster should be a wake-up call for the government to initiate pragmatic plans to check the recurrence of flooding and assuage the plight of those affected by the current flooding.

Habiba Umar, a journalist, said government should initiate public enlightenment campaigns on the effects of the flooding on the environment, while preventing the outbreak of epidemics.

“Government should try and help the flood victims because it is not easy. When you go to St. Luke’s Primary School, Lokoja, which is one of the camps set up for displaced persons; you will see more than 11 persons sharing a room.

“This is a very difficult situation, as it could even lead to epidemics and household quarrels,’’ she pleaded.

As a result of the flood, Mr. Steven Ajayi, a resident of Lokoja, called on the Kogi State Government to initiate a ferry service which would enable tourists to cross over to the other side of the state and even into Benue.

He said the ferry service would also bring in more revenue for the state, while creating employment opportunities.